FL9s Arrive

Looks like another winner for Sunset 3rd Rail - and the hobby.  I'm looking forward to the PRR L1s and FP7's I've ordered. 

Ed Rappe 

EMD F carbody, McGinnis paint scheme, what's not to love?

NICE!

Rusty

Took a few more shots on a 70+ degree sunny Saturday in Phoenix.  Each generation of 3rd Rail diesels keep getting better. 

The FPs will be a fun project and final graphics for those will be starting very soon.  Thank GOD for Wither's Publishing.

Looks great. Thanks for sharing. Do you belong to the club in McCormick Park?

5 minutes in the penalty box for 'Taunting'!

Simon in the cold

Ed,  Would be VERY interested in hearing your evaluation upon receipt!

Regards,

Simon

Very nice, could FT units be in the future for Sunset?

Jonathan thanks for the pics, what a great job 3rd rail has done once again.  Oh and it's 12 degrees here currently...so yeah thanks....

Don,

Yes I am a member of the Paradise and Pacific.  Great group of people and since I only know off less than half a dozen people in the entire state that are into 2 rail O, I keep a hand in high-rail to run on the club 40x32 layout. 

FPs are next, but all I can say is make your interests known to Scott and good things may happen   .... and if the FPs sell out, the next model is always easier to produce ... hint ... hint ...

...all I can say is make your interests known to Scott and good things may happen 

I'd love to get a rally going for more Penn Central stuff, even if it is only made in small quantities as admittedly it's a smaller fan base. I was really disappointed when they cancelled the PC E7 and there did seem to be a number of people asking where the PC FL-9 in MTA colors was 

Nick I like the MTA colors quite a bit.  I can tell you though that for whatever reason Penn Central does not get the orders.  Scott's minimum run is 40 units in 2 and 3 rail combined and he only had 20 orders for PC when this went into production.  There were even less on the E7 hence it being canceled.  Unless a hobby shop is willing to buy out the run of 40, it just doesn't work into the pricing model when you have minimum runs of 1000+ units.  The majority of these are New Haven, hence the 8 road numbers.  The other versions simply fill out the order at the factory and my guess is there is likely only around 200-300 units in a road name other than New Haven.  Scott knows the actual number and can answer that.   

I know there is a perception that the manufacturers don't like certain roads, but it is a business for them and orders speak volumes.  On an opposite thought, having a PC one myself, it is going to be one of the harder ones to find in the future.  I have several NYC K-Line 21" coaches that can be pulled by mine.   

Lucikly, PC is the one road that is easy-breezy to paint and decal yourself!

Jonathan, did the run of PC Fl-9s come in only one road number or several? I noticed yours is 5015 while the website model is 5011. Mine hasn't arrived yet, and I don't recall there being a choice for road number when I ordered online.

Also, while I completely understand the logic of cancelling an item with extremely low orders, one time I called an Atlas O dealer in Pennsylvania to purchase some PC stuff he had listed on his website. He apologized and informed me that it was all gone and forgot to update the page. He explained that in his store, once a shipment of PC stuff hits the shelves it's gone almost immediately; PC stuff is among his best sellers. I guess mileage varies around the country 

Nick - there are two road numbers for the Penn Central Version.  5011 and 5015.  You can request a number in advance, but I didn't so I got the number Scott sent me.  I should have done that with my Amtrak version as I wanted 489, but got 488.    It is being run in 3 numbers.  Four for Metro North, two for Maine Eastern and two for New York Central Heritage as both of the last two paint schemes only had two prototype numbers.  New Haven has eight numbers.

All I can say about the PC locomotives is that if the pre-orders were there, they would run.  It just takes 40 in two and three rail combined.  Even if it is close, they will get run.  When you look at the kind of cash outlay required to tool these, I don't question Scott's business acumen when it comes to road names or numbers of units.  Perhaps the hobby shop you purchase PC items from would be willing to buy out a run?  I know that scenario has worked with some of the road names on the E7 as well as the Bicentennial GG1.  A PC FP7 would be pretty nice if someone could front the cash in the ball park of a little more than $20K. 

I like the photo you posted of the engine change in South Amboy by the way.  I vaguely remember E8s and E7s in PC.  Mostly those same E8s in NJDOT paint a few years later.

Finally got my PC Fl-9 today! It is spectacular and automatically the best diesel in my collection. My only complaint was a scuff on the roof that looks like someone at the factory tried to rub off and only made it worse by fading the clear coat. Normally I would request a new unit but since everything else is so super looking, I ended up with my preferred cab number, and when I take it out of the harsh light it's hard to notice the scuff, I'll be keeping it. Can't wait to get it home and on the layout this weekend 

Oh and I forgot to mention, the cab figures are hilarious 

Nick,

How do you like those couplers? Are you going to replace them?

Oversize couplers never bothered me, although even I have to admit the front coupler on this particular model may cause visual distress for some owners...

There's a section in the manual on how to easily remove the front coupler, since the wires to it are plug type and not permanent. I may just do that. I wonder if I could rig up a dummy scale coupler to replace it instead of having to modify things for a Kadee.

Nick - enjoy the locomotive and post back on how it runs for you.  I won't have a chance to run my 3R ones for a few weeks and my 2 rail layout is still in the works.  A husband and wife couple at my operating club have an E7 that ran a few weeks back for the first time for several hours flawlessly.  The coupler does stick out a bit.  A function of the command controlled coil coupler.  I'm probably going to put a Kadee on the front of my Amtrak one.  Not sure what to do with the PC one.  My original plan was to using it as the tailing unit for extra power, but I'm not sure I'll need it with the drive that's in these. 

The couplers on 2 rail version is of course just right ...

Just noticed the front coupler.  You guys better put a note on this thread - that thing has no socially redeeming or artistic value, and may be an affront to local community standards.

opinion.

Isn't that Jim Carry from "The Mask?"

Rusty

Does the QSI board have the correct air whistle sound?

I ordered two of these and those front couplers will not cause visual distress.
It is worse.

They are horrifying.

What is that, a battering ram?

The cab figures are not hilarious to me.

They are fit only for October 31.

Eliot 

Folks, Thanks for your feedback, good and bad. I talked with our factory manager yesterday. The coupler issue stems from the fact that we have a gearbox on every axle. I wouldn't want to change that to move a coupler back in. But what we are looking at are making shorter brass dummy couplers that customer could replace on their models. Couplers have been a long standing battle for us on both Diesels and Steam engines. More and more people are going to Kadee Scale Couplers and abandoning the old toy train couplers.We are supporting them with available Kadee mounts etc.

Figures have to improve also. No excuse for that.

Thank You,

Scott Mann

The look on the engineers face reminds me of the clay figure in SNL's Mr Bill skits

Mr Bill NOOOOOOOOOO not on the tracks!!!!!! as he is sliced into pieces by a set of FL-9s headed into GCS.

For 2- rail scale, I have found that all axle power trumps everything else.  Just assume the coupler is aroused.

Those look like Lionel Electro-Couplers on the front.

Andrew

The sound system is equipped with the accurate EMD 567 series prime mover; however, the whistle/horn is a single note air horn, I believe the Leslie A-200. It would have been nice to have the sound system include the correct Hancock air whistle but I wasn't really expecting it. I suspect Lionel would not make it available to another manufacturer, or more likely, it's not even in Lionel's library.

I will echo the previous poster's comments regarding Sunset's superb customer service. My model's pilot is bent and I was unable to completely remedy the situation. I contacted the company and heard directly from Mr. Mann. The replacement pilot is already in my possession and ready to be installed this weekend. The responsiveness of 3rd Rail is unsurpassed.

I plan to post some photos and impressions of the FL9 once I have the replacement pilot installed.

Bob  

I am still waiting for my engines. Thought I would get an e-mail by now.

I finally found the thread we had over in the main 3-rail forum for reviews on these models. For anyone who wants to read more:

https://ogrforum.com/d...52#14523222173172652

Don - did you order yours direct or through a dealer?  If you ordered direct, email 3rd Rail and they can give you a tracking number to see where they are.  If you ordered through a dealer, they should have the tracking number too. 

well i finally received my pair of Maine Eastern FL-9's and they look great,I have access to the pair of real ones down the road from me and had posted pics on Facebook so that the employees of Maine Eastern could take a look, so far over whelming positive comments and in return they got a small education on Modern O scale! 

I had contacted 3rd rail to ask about the warning on page 2 of the operators manual and it strongly advises against using these locomotives with a MTH Z 750 or Z 1000. they said that they Strongly recommended a Lionel ZW type or MRC type of transformer to get the job done and that the MTH type can send 110 volts through the electronics on the locomotives and fry them!because they are electronic transformers and not pure wave...Well that sucked because i had a Z 750 hooked up to a Legacy base and cab unit. well got to save some bucks cause the transformer i wanted was supposed be for next year because of the cost of this pair of nice engines!

OK, got a tracking number so it probably be early next week.

Hello - Just discovered this forum - didn't know there was any 2R activity on OGR.  Re the FL-9s - I received my 2 NH units about a week ago.  I have a bit of a dilemma and this is NOT a criticism of the models - they are beautiful and I am sure the DCC crowd will be extremely happy with them.  I use Old-School DC 2-rail and have no intentions of converting.  For me, the sound and "2-rail" operation with the QSI board is a distraction and a disappointment.  I like my trains to be quiet and don't want them to need 8V to start moving.  As is, they can't MU with anything else I own.

I've never seen this mode of control for 2-rail DC before.  I am very well versed in electronics and searching a little further found that the board layout for the QSI "Titan" is on QSI's web site.  I will be making replacement boards that just pass through the connections with enough logic to switch the directional lighting.  That way I can make the models work the way I want without permanently modifying them.

Am I the only one that feels this way?  Does anyone think Sunset might consider offering something like this as an option?  I'd really be happy with a simple switch on the bottom that puts them into "real" 2-rail DC mode.

===================

No.

It's not likely that Sunset, and certainly not MTH, would consider a sans electronics version as it would mean a third varient on the build, the total numbers of which are small enough anyway in 0 scale.  [ In HO, it's ( usually ) a different story.]  The electronics and hence the 8 volt offset, etc, are dictated by the three rail conventions.  Configuring for [ 0 scale ] DCC is next, and 'conventional DC' has to take whatever results.

You will have to admit it's easier for us "DC guys" to rip all this "stuff" [ I am being polite here ] out than for the "command guys" to install it from scratch ! 

Welcome to the 2 rail forum -- which you'll find is composed of mostly nice folks, even though a lot of them are those "command guys"....

SZ

SZ is totally right. These little model train factories don't do wiring and electronics very well. We try to keep things as simple as possible. Also, if they run in to delays, we have to cover their lost overhead. So a simple addition to the number of versions of wiring can add $20,000 to the cost of a project, just in overhead delays. So if someone wants something other than what we offer in the way of DC/DCC operation, they can just yank the stuff out and rewire their engine for DC. The cost of trying to get specific numbers of engines with different wiring is too risky. The numbers are just too small for this.

Thanks for listening.

Scott Mann - China